Death in a Jubilee year

Queen Elizabeth II: Her sister died just three days after the 50th anniversary of their father's death

LONDON, England -- It is only February and for Queen Elizabeth II the year 2002 has already provided its fair share of setbacks.

Her grandson Prince Harry's drug-taking and under-age drinking were published in a national newspaper, public interest in the queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations has so far been low-key, and now her sister, Princess Margaret, has died.

But CNN's royal commentator Robert Jobson says the death of Margaret could kick-start the golden jubilee.

"After this sort of start to the year things can only get better," Jobson said.

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"There is no doubt that the palace has been concerned lack of reaction to the Jubilee.

"I think with Margaret's death people will rally to the queen, which will almost kick-start the Jubilee."

Prince Harry, third in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles and older brother William, hit the headlines last month with revelations of under-age drinking and cannabis-smoking.

His father and the royal family in general were widely praised for the way they reacted both to Harry's problems and the subsequent media attention.

Unlike so many previous royal problems, this time the family admitted Harry's involvement with drink and drugs and tackled the issue head-on.

Prince Charles was reported to have taken his son to a drug rehabilitation centre to show him how people can progress from cannabis to harder drugs like heroin.

No sooner had the Harry story been removed from the front pages than the first whispers surfaced that public interest in the Golden Jubilee was at best muted.

For the Silver Jubilee in 1977, street parties were held across the country. But this time around there had been far fewer applications to local councils to hold organised events.

Pundits have reflected that the lack of proposed celebrations indicated a lack of interest in the royals. Others argued it was still early days and that as the actual Jubilee in early June drew closer, interest would grow.

Now Margaret's death, Jobson says, could be the catalyst for the Jubilee with the public rallying around the royal family.